


Riding class

by Paper_Panda



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Arthur Morgan Lives, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, High Honor Arthur Morgan, Horseback Riding, Minor Original Character(s), Protective Arthur Morgan, Reader-Insert, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 09:04:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18443372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paper_Panda/pseuds/Paper_Panda
Summary: You and Arthur decide to get outside the compound for a while. It’s also the very first time Arthur provides initial riding class to his eight-year-old son.





	Riding class

It was a nice, warm day.  
Arthur was cleaning his horse while watching his eight-year-old son.  
Noah was playing with his older “brother”, Jack. Kiddo liked to call man that because boys were spending a lot of time together.  
Arthur didn’t mind it, John was like a brother to him and he was glad his son had a good company.

You walked out of a tent, stretching your back lazily.  
“Good morning, handsome,” you placed a little kiss to Arthur’s cheek, wrapping arms around his waist tightly. “As I see, Noah plays since he is up.”

Arthur smiled and wrapped arm around you, putting brush away.  
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he said, kissing you softly. He nodded. "Yes, you know him. He likes to play, just like Jack,“ Artur sighed. "Hey, maybe we should take Noah and just ride somewhere? To rest a bit away from camp? For a day, or two?”

“It’s an great idea, darling,” you smiled brightly and waved hand at your son. “Noah, c'mere for a second!”

Boy was a bit confused when he came to you.  
“Yes, mommy?”

“Dad has something to tell you,” you announced happily, looking at Arthur.

Arthur crouched to get on boy’s level and smiled  
“We’re gonna go somewhere for maybe two days. We will go somewhere outside the camp. Just three of us… Well, five if we count the horses.”

“And Jack?,” boy asked sadly as he turned head to look at his mate. “He will be alone here?”

You chuckled softly and looked at your husband.

Arthur smiled and looked at you, then back at his son.  
“It’s just a two days trip, son, we will be back soon. He’ll be fine. You will be able to tell him everything when we will be back.”

A concern was still visible at boy’s face but soon it was all gone and he smiled at his father.  
“Okay, daddy. Can we ride horses then?! Can I ride a horse too?!”

Arthur rubbed his chin and shrugged.  
“Sure. I mean, mama will take her horse and you can ride with me if ya wanna.”

“Yes, dad!,” boy laughed hardly. “Can I take reins?!”

“No way, young man,” you replied before Arthur. “You’re too young for this.”

Arthur stopped you.  
“Calm down, sweetheart.” he said and smiled softly at Noah. “We will see what we can do about that. I mean, he can try I guess. I will be with him in the saddle,” Arthur explained, looking at you.

You rolled your eyes.  
“Okay, let it be, but you gotta be careful, both of you, do you understand?,” you asked in a serious voice.

Noah nodded quickly.  
“Yes, mom, I’m a big boy!”

“I am a big boy too, sweetheart!,” Arthur added, ruffling boy’s hair. “Okay, so take your mama to tent and help her pack some stuff. I will prepare horses.”

Afternoon ride has started as soon as it got.

Your horse was walking slowly behind Arthur’s stallion, you were watching beautiful nature surrounding you.

Noah was sitting in front of Arthur.  
He was holding reins tightly in his gloved hands.

They ride like this for few more minutes before Arthur offered reins to Noah.  
“Still wanna try?”

You glared at him with cocked brows, yet you remained silent, you didn’t really want to start a fight, though you were oh so afraid of your little boy.

“Yes, papa!,” Noah happily grabbed the rains in his tiny hands and moved them, making horse turn to its left.

“Wo-ho! Wait! Let me help ya,” Arthur took Noah’s hands and showed his how to lead the horse. “You see? Now he will walk straight,” he smiled.

You couldn’t help but giggle loudly.

Arthur’s horse shook its head few times, neighing loudly.

“Dad! Dad! Look, horse is moving! It’s moving!,” Noah was oh so excited and he immediately turned around to look at you, but he did this too vigorously and he almost fell off horse’s back.

Arthur wrapped his arm tight around Noah.  
“Bravo, but first of all, we stay in the saddle, okay? Keep reins just like I’ve shown you, okay?,” Arthur looked over his shoulder and shrugged. "You see? He gets it quickly.”

“All I saw was that he almost fell out of the saddle,” you chuckled, “But I see also, he gets it pretty quickly though,” you nodded.

Boy shook his head.  
“Dad, leave! I’m big boy, I can handle!”

He looked back at Noah.  
“Okay, just remember what I told you,” Arthur slowly moved his hands away from reins.  
Boy focused oh so much at keeping horse moving in a straight line. He leant down a bit, he almost forgot to breathe. His tongue was stacked out as he was having very serious face.

Arthur looked over his shoulder at you again and giggled, shaking his head.

After few minutes, Arthur looked around. You were on a nice, green glade with small lake.  
“Noah, stop the horse. We will set camp here,” man said, patting boy’s shoulder.

“Stop yourself, horse!,” Noah stated firmly, patting horse’s neck.  
But the animal was slowly going further.  
“I said stop!,” boy repeated.  
When horse didn’t obey his request, Noah turned to his father.  
“Dad, I think the horse is broken,” boy shrugged.

Arthur did his best to not laugh but he failed, bursting with laughter.  
“You control horse with the reins,” he explained and his gloved hands again took a hold of reins. He pulled gently and horse stopped. "You see?,” Arthur smiled at his son and then he looked at you. “What do you think about this place, darling?”

You nodded, still having your mouth covered with hand.  
"Sure, I like it,” you stated simply as you got off the horse and walked to Arthur’s stallion. You helped Noah get back on the ground.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, boy turned to the animal and patted its leg.  
“Good horse, we can be friends, too!”

“Yea, he sure was a good boy today,” Arthur took out a carrot out of his bag and fed the horse. After that, he started to set the camp. He prepared the tent and small bonfire. "All right! All set up.”

After the late dinner, you were slowly getting ready to sleep.

Although your son had rather different idea.  
“Dad?,” young boy walked to his father and climbed onto his lap. “I have a very, very serious question to you.”

Arthur was sitting in front of bonfire, humming quiet song.  
“What is it, son?,” Arthur asked taking off his hat and bag.

“Since I did very well at our first riding session,” boy started, “I was considering a possibility of riding some more. Like now.”

“Uhm… Well. I have nothing against it, I guess,” Arthur muttered, stroking his cheek and chin. He shrugged gently, looking over at you. “But you also need to ask this beautiful lady there. She needs to agree, too.”

Boy nodded and quickly got up from father’s laps, only to join you near the tent.  
“Mommy, I have a very, very serious question to you.”

You crouched next to Noah, tilting head slightly.  
“What is it, darling?”

“Dad said I can ride a horse now. So I came to tell you, I’ll be riding it now. Can I?”

You chuckled and exhaled deeply.  
“Tomorrow, cowboy, it’s time for you to go to bed finally, this day was full of adventures and you gotta rest a bit.”

“Well, I think she’s right, pal. You should rest after your first lesson,” Arthur said, walking up to both of you.

Boy wasn’t too happy but finally agreed with his parents.  
Rest of the night was calm. Arthur slept peacefully cuddling you and Noah close. He simply was the happiest man alive.

Arthur got up first to ignite a fire and prepare some coffee for both of you and something to drink for Noah.

He smiled softly as he saw how Noah started to slowly wake up.  
“Good morning there, mister.”

As boy was fully awaken, he came to his father.  
“Hi, dad, it’s morning already, can I finally get on the horse?,” he asked simply, grabbing his mug with tea. He drank it as fast as he could, keeping his eyes on his dad.

Arthur blinked and smiled.  
“You must be that stubborn after your mother,” man took a coffee mug and walked to you, he kissed your cheek. “Good morning. Here is your coffee and I will go put that boy on a horse. Don’t worry, I will be by his side.”

After these words he went back to Noah and picked him up.  
"Okay! Let’s go.”

As soon as boy was at horse’s back, he grabbed its rains and moved them.  
“Go, go, let’s go!,” boy shouted few times but the only thing that followed his actions was horse raising its head up to look briefly at Arthur.

Arthur shook his head and tied a rope to halter so he still would have some control over the horse. “Noah? What did I tell you yesterday?,” he looked at boy.

Boy scratched his head, humming.  
“Uhm, that I shall do this,” boy moved reins, “And that horse will go. But it’s not walking. I told you, he is broken inside.”

“Nah, he ain’t broken, boy. Try to gently nudge his sides with your feet but really gently,” Arthur instructed.

It was kinda amusing for him to watch it but he tried his best to teach his son.

Noah nodded and stacked his tongue out.  
He tried to follow his dad’s order but he failed.  
“Daddy, daddy! My legs are too short, I can’t!,” two tears ran down boy’s cheeks.

It ripped Arthur’s heart.  
“Don’t cry, simply try again.”

When Noah tried again, Arthur gently pulled on horse’s robe so animal moved.  
He held the rope tightly in his hands. “Ah! You see? You did it!”

“IT’S WORKING, DAD! MOM! MOM, WAKE UP, SEE ME RIDING A HORSE! IT’S WORKING AGAIN!,” boy shouted loudly, laughing happily.  
He forgot to keep the rains as he started to clap his hands.

“Noah, rains,” Arthur reminded him, looking up at boy.

Noah caught the rains, giggling.  
“Sorry, daddy!”

Arthur smiled as he watched his little son.

They were doing this for almost an hour, until Noah started to complain how sitting in saddle was becoming uncomfortable.

Arthur helped his son get off of horse.  
“How as it?,” he asked as he carried boy back to little camp.

“It was nice, dad. You shall feed our horse or it will pass away from hunger!,” boy reminded his father.

As soon as he spotted you near the campfire, he ran to you and jumped straight into your arms. “Mom! Listen, mom, I was riding a horse for almost an hour! But dad has to change the saddle for more fluffy one, this one ain’t comfortable!”

Arthur laughed as he walk to you.  
“When you will be older, you will get your own, big horse and I promise you, I will get you the most fluffy saddle I’ll be able to find,” Arthur hugged both of you.


End file.
